SUZHOU, July 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The ongoing 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee has approved a total of 34 items out of the 48 nominated to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, updating the total number of world heritage properties at 788.

    Chairman of the Session Zhang Xinsheng, who is Chinese vice-minister of education, announced the news at a press conference here Friday shortly after emerging from the meeting which completed the agenda of examining and approving new world heritagesites in the past three days,

    Four countries of Andora, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iceland and Togo, made their first appearance on the World Heritage List as a result of the approval, Zhang said.

    "The World Heritage List is of wider range of representation today," he said. Enditem